THE LOVE OF A LADY; ,

News

Cite

Share

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.] THE LOVE OF A LADY; OR, ROWLEY LE BRETON, BY ANNIE THOMAS. AUTHOR OF Dennis Donne, Played Oitt," "Eyre of Blendon," d"c. CHAPTER XIIL "BECAUSE I AM JEALOtH* MRS. MARcnANT was waiting at the Stretton station for the down express from London with a pretty ex- pression of impat'ence on her face that puzzled behol lers. It was her wifely habit to meet this train frequently when her husband and any of her husband's friends were coming down by it. To-day it happened t hat both her husband and one of her husband's friends were coming by it; therefore it may be assumed that Mrs. Marchant's impatience, though" prettily expressed," was not altogether a fictitious thing. Dora was driving her ponies up and down smartly in front of the station, occasionally amused for half a moment by the grotesque shadows they and she cast upon the smooth, well-ordered road. They were a bonnie trio truly, she and her chestnuts—a trio that were well matched for beauty, breeding, and dare devilry. Unkind people said-and there are unkind people to be found even in the pure and blessed country- that Mrs. Marchant would have an accident sooner or later with those satin skinned, elastic-pasterned chestnuts of hers, and they added that she would have it one day when her husband, poor man, happened to be with her. For Do a had a habit of asserting that MrMarchant always made her nervous when he was with her in the pony trap, as he would give her directions which she didn't feel in- clined to follow." Nevertheless, though he made her nervous, Dora was always dutifully ready to drive him to and from the station, even when he travelled alone. But this day he was com'ng accompanied by a friend, a friend whom they had ne ther of them seen for many months a friend who was coming to them under such altered conditions that he would "hardly seem like the same man" Dora felt, as she glanced towards the incoming train, and quivered as she glanced. Spr'ng sunshine was spreading its warmest after- noon rlow over everything as the two men c aiiie through the station gate But it seemed as though the most golden gleams had concentrated themsel es upon Mrs. March nt and her pont, s. The radiance of them almost dac led Rowley le B eton out of the compose 11 ilTeren e he had i-een tutoring himself to feel for Pora. "I have b o-ghtbim ('0 n you see, rora! k en't you g ing to tell him you're glad to see h m Mr. Mar hant was saying, while Dora's liquid eyes were delighting in the si ,ht of Ilodey's absorbed admira- tion of the perfect harmony in chestnut and gold which she an l her onies were making. The cushions of her little carriage were covered with old gold curduroy, and a jacket and hat of the same colour and material in a lighter texture encased her splendid figure, denning it perfectly, and covered her golden-haired head. It was no use attempting to tattle against the impression this woman's thrilling beauty and charm had flr him. As her eyes met his, and his. roved over the study in chestnut and gold she and her ponies made, he felt her chains being forged afresh around him, and no thought of Kitty intervened to make him try and break them. Wasn't it stupid of me to come with the ponies ? I ought to have b ought the wagonette. But I forgot there were two of you. I am so accustomed to fetch Mr. Marchant only that I forgot you, Wasn't it stupid of me ?" I can walk* up of course I can walk. I shall enjoy it," Rowley was saying, with the ready effusion that is born of extreme unwillingness, when Mr. Marchant interposed, "Shouldn't think of allowing you to do anything of the kind, Le Breton. Dora, my dear, you must insist on Le Breton's driving home with you. I want to say a few wo ds to the stationmaster about some traps of mine which are com'ng down by the ne-t train." chap 13 Mr. Marchant, full of cares and anxieties about his corning-traps, and of kindly feeling towards the guest who e widowed, fortuneless stnte seemed to him so pitiable, went back into the stat'on. and I c Howley Le B eton stepped into Mrs. Marchant's carriage. The little groom in the back seat sat with cossed arms, stolidly staring'nto the landscape between the shoulders o the pair in front of him. His. youthful mmd was not capable of entertaining two ideas at a t me. Hi absorbing one at the present was that" Miss's wouldn't be ack in time for him to go and have a di :• in the river before supper. Dips in the river re resftnted un'nown quantities of joy-3 to him now that he was in respe table service, for it hr u;ht him in eonta t with village lads and V hoo of the bu olic order, who v ere not consi 'ered good enough for him to speak to when he had his li ery on. Put they were the friends of h's youth, and when he was out of live y his souv yèarned towards them Taught as lie was with visions of this felicity in the immediate future, he took no note of the present. The idyl! that was eing enacted before him had no charms did not attract the slightest regard from the boy who was longing for a dip in the river. On the whole it was perhaps as well that it should be the c S3 "or the jr'yl; had its dangerous side. looked at from that, side. it might not have a"peared a purely pastoral poem that those in front were read- ing by the lights of the past. As they trotted away from the F* "Dora Marchant stole a loo at the face uy her side, the handsome face thatshehad onceloved so desperately. Tt was handsomer now than it had been then. The experience of the man had enriched the beauty of the boyish face whose prevailing expression in the old days had teen one of passiorate love for herself. I wonder if any other woman has ever seen that loo in his eyes ? 'Helen' never saw it, at least, I'm sure of that," she thought, as she glanced demurely away from him. Instantly this comforting refection was followed by another and less satisfactory cne. Had Kitty Paubeny e'er seen it ?" she could not help wondering. Suddenly she spoke. "It was ve y good of you to come down to us, Rowley. I told my husband when he proposed asking you that I fea ed your work would keep you in town." I am only too glad to come, you know that. Moreover. I'm not specially hard at work just now. I've t'nished my novel, and I'm waiting to see how it catches on befo e I begin anoth r.' J m so interested in it," she said softly. You may well 1 e "I am How beautifully Miss Daubeny is illus. trat/ng it, isn't she ?" Very c harmingly." I'm quite flattered at her having taken Wag and me for her models. What could have made her think of doing it ?" Have you read my description of Doris ?" I have." It was that which made her recognise you when she saw you." Did she tell you anything about her little visit to me ?" Very little." Weren't you curious to know what she thought of me ?" 0 Not a bit." Was that because you were indifferent to me, or indi "erent to her opinion ?" I can never be indiTerent to you, and I should value Miss Daubeny's opinion about many things." But not about me He laughed in a half am- sed, half-vexed tone that allowed er to cee that her mention of Miss Dallbeny a'Tected him in some way. Why s' ould I sk a sir nger's o inion of you when I know you so well myself ?" Do you thin! you know me, Rowley ?'' Do I not know t ee t the bone, my sweet ?'" How improper to quote Chastelar's impassioned words to me. Oh, dear! There's one com'ort Mary Stuart had in the mi'st of all her troubles. Thouch the men knew her to the bone, knew her thoroughly, t' ey went on loving her just the same She heaved a sigh, and put on a passing expres- sion of sadness that was intinitely touching. Howley saw it with the corner of his eye, but forti red by a recollection of Kitty he refused to be touched by it, and remained stolidly silent. Has Miss Daubeny been a friend of yours long, Rowley?" I have known her some months now." B "Did you introduce her to Mrs. Row:ev T, Breton?" No, poor Helen was always more or less ill after I knew Miss Daubeny." Has Miss Hewlett ever seen Miss Daubeny?" "Not that I am aware of." Lucky for Miss Daubeny, I'm thinking. That Hewlett woman is capable of murdering anyone she disliked, and she would be sure to dislike Miss Daubeny as much as she disliked me. I'm quite sure in my own mind that it was she fired at me that night." The wretched woman I wish we had been able to bowl her out. But why Why what a question to ask. Because she thought you liked me I don't say that she was correct in that assumption, but she acted on it. Now, if she saw Miss Daubeny she would in all probability jump at the conclusion that you liked her, and then there might be another shot fired, with better effect than the former one." In case your prophecy might be fulfilled, I shall do my best to prevent a meeting between Miss Hewlett and Miss Daubeny." It wou'd be a catastrophe. Now if she had HUed me when she shot at me, chastened grief for an old friend would have been all she felt. But if she killed Miss Daubeny!—No, Rowley, I won't harrow up your feelings any more by suggesting such a ghastly thing." •' It would be a ghastly thing, truly. Miss Daubeny would be a real loss to Art, as well as an irreparable one to everyone who knows her." "TInt sounds just like a sentence in an obituary notce in a local paper. I don't like you when you talk in sentences Ii k e that. Tell me in good idiomatic language what the loss of her would be to you, if it would be an irreparable one to everyone who knows her. Why pursue the subject of Miss Daubeny's possibly tragic end so rnfinchingly ?" I chose a topic which I thought would be interest- ing to you." They were pulling up at the door of her home as she said this. When he had followed her into the house, and they were safely ensconced in her own boudoir, she turned to put both her hands on his shoulders, and asked in a voice that she well knew how to render as thrilling as a syren's: Do you know why I chose Miss Daubeny for my theme, Rowley ? Because I am jealous of her." She was gone like a gleam of lightning from the room refore he had time to answer her-even had he felt so inclined. As it was he did not feel inclined, therefore her going was a relief to him. He felt very sorry for several things as he stood there, but chiefly for this, that he had come to Walmsey at all. The fact of Mrs. Marchant having expressed herself so openly on the subject of Kitty Daubeny embarrassed him. Yes! heartily, on this the first day of his arrival, he wished he had not. come to Walmsey.

CHAFTER XIV.

News

Cite

Share

CHAFTER XIV. A CAT IN TliE ROOM. ,-Ciir, -sympathy of old and tried friends is proverbially sweet. Before Rowley had been many hours at Walmsey he found himself confiding the whole story of the injustice of his wife's will to Dora's kindly ear. When he told her further of the latest message which Miss Hewlett had imparted to h'm, 'Mrs. Marchant's sense of the humour of it was overcome by the indignation which a woman is apt to feel ..hen a lesser woman than herself presumes to offer adora- tion at the same manly shrine. How insulting of her That ugly, unattractive woman to imagine she could buy you with her ill- gotten gains. Didn't you feel dreadfully humiliated when she sa:d it ?" I felt disgusted with the woman." "But didn't you reel humiliated ?" "No—why should I?" At her daring to imagine you would marry her." "Oh! she's a half-mad old catamaran. Don't let as waste any more time in talking about her." I- If I give up one topic at your request, you mus let me choose another." Certainly," he assented imprudently, and Do: a instantly rejoined "I want you to tell me how Miss Daubeny and people me Miss Daubeny li e. Miss Daubeny lives very quietly with her mother. I don't happen f5 now any people liL.e her, so I < an't say how they live." "I mean professional people—authors, -artists, actors, and .people of that ilk. They do a lot of daring, unconventional things, don't they, that we don't do ?" "I think you might give the majority of them a fair start, and still beat them in the doing of daring, unconventional things," he laughed cut, and Do'a forgave .him the partial rebuke on account of the admiration that leavened it. •'I wish fhe would come down and stay with her uncle at Stretton Rectory-while you're here. Eowlev," she said sweetly; it would be so pleasant for you to meet in the country, wouldn't it ? You would have time to plan out the illustrations for the last chapters together And she could ma' e fresh sketches of we!" You don't come into the last chapters- at "east. the Doris M S5 T'aubeny thinks like you, doesn't come into them." Indeed by whom am I superseded ?— for of course there must. e a woman to car y the interest onto the end. Make a clean br a,stofit, and I'll forgive you! By whom am I stipersedel She came one step nearer to him ard laid her hand on his arm, and held her winsome, sparkling face up towards him. It seemed to him that the sbr y eyes we e I t, not by vanity —not by the paltry, desire of a conquest which she might not en oy— f a victory in whi h she da-ed not prcIaim herself victrix—but by the real light of love! She seemed EO fond of him in the old familiar way at that moment that he forgot Mr. Marchant, he forgot ittv Daubeny IFe forgot everythinc." save that he and this woman had been lovers, and that she seemed to love him now. "My da ling!" he murmured passionately, "my own darling, who has never been—who will never e superseded." He had drawn her to him, his lips were meeting hers before the charneleon-natured creature changed. But the change came all too quickly for Eowley. She shrank away from him laughingly, her eyes dancing with delight at the sight of his chagrin. "Why, Eowley! what a bad memory you have," she said s-otnly. "You forget that I am at old married woman, and that you are in love with JUis, Daubeny." You make a man forget most things that he ought to remember, he said scowling a. little Put kora met the scowl and the censure with a largh and a moc- ing curt ey. U The dre,sinu;bell rang ten minutes ago I must go and put on my And—Eowley 'lease don't be melodramatic in th nay you were just now before Mr. Marchant He m'ghtn't understand how entirely fraternal our terms are." She went off laugh'ng at him with the same Fort of gool-natured, merry for' earan:'e which she might have e tended to a forward boy And he was a man whose real heart belonged to a pure, moral young girl who would have considered him defiled by the touch- of a matron's lips. At the same time he was c a man whose passions were being evoked by this creature who was "changeful as the sea. and he knew that she had it, in her power to wreck hrm: Still, he believed in the something better a' out her which he had discerned in his discrim'nating trusting youth, anl fancied, though she had the power indisputably she had not the will. It was a relief to him to find Wag in sole pos es- sion of the drawing room when he went down pre- sently. Wag's leonine head loomed out from the semi darkne-s as Eowley pushed the porti're aside, and Wag's thundering growl made him conscious that he had roughly pushed one of the St Bernard's paws "Have yo i half-forgotten and nearly grown to d'strust me, too, o'd man ?" he muttered, stooning to grasp t'e dog's jowl and force the clever o li ue eyes to look into h's own. f' as anyone else done thes • same things, Fowley i" a soft, oice asked, and he looked round to see Mrs. Ma chant: a vision in etherealised silk of some nameless hue between blue and green foating towards him, Her voice had quivered as she said "Rowley," and now the hand which she laid li htly on his was trembling, e felt. So he clasped it ever so gently— just to reas ureher. As they stood thus she looked up into his face reproachfully, he gating do-vn into her's with all the old admiration in his eyes. He asked: You cau'io ied me against being melojramatic' just now, and b''nted that. Mr. Marchant might fail to understand how entirely fraternal' our relations are! Do you th nk for a moment that I could e erbe cur enough to compromise you ? Though, Heaven forgive me, my feeling for you is as far from fraternal as ever it was." • .o. J Ie Not even when you remember that I threw you over for these and these ?" — She touched the jewels on her neck and arms wltfi such frank, fascinating contempt for them and her- self. Not even when I remember that you threw mo over for these things that are powerless to satisfy you now." j You think they are powerless to satisfy me ?" "At least you're not satisfied," he muttered miserably if you were you wouldn't have reminded me so vividly of the days when we belonged to each other-" I Rowley, my heart has never wavered, never been false to you. No, never for a single day," she was saying with a suppressed passionate emphasis, when Mr. Marchant came upon them hurriedly, and greeted his guest with genial heartiness. Dora's taking care of you, Le Breton, I hope? I'm a little later than I intended to be-detained about this horse show that's coming off at Bath. I'm one of the judges- Good Heavens! Dora, what's the matter ? What has happened ?" Dora's white face and dilated blue eyes were, happily for herself, averted from the object which had caused her uncontrollable emotion. In that brief moment, when she had been assuring Rowley that her heart had never wavered for a single day," Rowley had bent and kissed her hand, and the instinct of self-preservation bad made her start back and avert her face, which had grown ashen white under the conviction that she had nearly been found out by her husband. Rea'ising in one moment that this con- viction was false she recovered herself with the adroit grace that is a speciality of some women off as well as on the stage. There's a cat in the room, I'm sure. You know how antipathetic I am to cats Do look about, Afr. Le Breton I feel sure there's a cat in the room, for I feel faint and sick." Then there must be a cat in the room, my darling." Mr. Marchant was full < f zeal in discover- ing the cat, and of sympathy with his wife in a moment. While he searched for the feline intruder Mrs. Marchant went hurriedly upstairs. When she came down again she was perfectly and naturally calm and gracious again. The smelling salts have recovered me," she ex- plained, holding out her little silver-mounted bottle towards Rowley; "they always revive me at once however much I may have been agitated by cats or other things." "But the extraordinary thing is that there is no cat in the room. Your nerves played you false, my dear. There was no cause for your antipathetic sensations." It must have been a cat," she said calmly, "and probably it rushed out when I opened the door. My nerves never play me false. See how calm I am now that the cause of my nervousness is removed." She held her hand out with a winning smile, to her husband, and he took it tenderly, drew it within his arm, and so they went in to dinner, Rowley following them, wondering a little wildly at the ways of women. late into the night-long after Dora was sleeping the sleep of undisturbed innocence-Powley La Breton sat up writing out a portion of the plot and a set of incidents for his next novel. He felt that if he was to retain possession of his head while he remained at Walmsey he must be balanced by seme strong counteracting influence to Dora's intoxicating manner. The only influence he could invoke was work-real, hard work i-for Kitty Daubeny was absent, and had made no sign. It is lamentable to have to relate it, but it is the truth. The resolution made in the dark watches of the night evaporated in the morning li lit in Mrs Marchant's presence. What you have come to Walmsey for is rest and fresh air. We mustn't let Mr. Le Breton slave at" his pen while he is with us, must we?" she asked her husband, with a pretty, mixed manner. It was partly that of a mother to a sore and wounded child, Mr. Marchant thought approvingly. Rowley saw another side to it, and the vision made his heart beat faster, and sent the blood coursing through his veins in a way that forbade him anything like writing coherent y for that morning at least So he placed himself at his hostess's service, and she arranged that they should ride over to Ptretton rectory and lunch with Mr. Paubeny, and hear from him if there is any chance of your artist coJIeagno coming to stay with her uncle. It would be so interesting to see you two working together, Howley That's a sight you will ne er have the gratification of seeing."he said testily. Too sabred a one for v Igar and profane eyes, is it, Rowtey ?'' she as ed maliciously or," she added with a sudden re-apse, in passionate pathos, "one that you would not be cruel enough to e hibit to my jealous eyes." They had risen from the breakfast table and strolled out throgll the conservatory on t) the lawn when she said this. Branching o; from the bottom of the lawn a high he dged Jaurel path led away to a mound, on which was perched a summer ho se, v hich commanded some of the finest news in the neiarhbo rhood. Towards this she led him, an when they were half way through it she spoke aga 11, "Forget those last words of mine, Rowley; they were simply wrung from me. I ought never to have lost control over myself in such a contemptible way I never can for .et them. I am only a man, and I bless you for having uttered them." There is danger fo me n your remembering them tenderly. Be kind un1 generous, and forget them, Rowley Put even as she pi; acled with him to" forget them," she looked at him with her lips quivering and her eyes glistening with hushed tears. Not even for the sa e of subjugating-h:m on (he spot would that great enchantress have let those tears escape from her eye- lids. fo she knew that they would have created havoc on the dusky bloom that-lived under her eyes, and made her deli-ate roze red. But kept well within bounds they were very effective, and Eowley found them so I ou ht not to have come here. I ought to have had the strength to reman away from you. You are blameless But I reproach myself for having wor ed on your sweet, sympathetic nature. I ought to go at once." Don't lrnt at that or you will drive me mad" she cried in eal alarm. It ended in his promising by the time he rea hed the summer-house that her will in the matter should be his law while his life iasted. The views must have been strangely beautiful and alluring, for they remained absorbed by them, only speaking at long intervals, and then in tones so low that no eavesdropper would have been the wiser for them, for more than an hour. Then she reminded him of their projected ride to Stretton rectory, and they walked home in silence. But he prayed that he might not hear Kitty Daubeny's name mentioned this day. (To be continued-.)

Advertising

Advertising

Cite

Share

For Jptfie J: CWJBURYJI F^la-Votir. K t ch-o c It ap

- STRONG CHILDREN.

News

Cite

Share

STRONG CHILDREN. Children grow strong on Cadbury's cocoa because it contains in a generous measure those food elements that are essential to health and good physical condition. It possesses the combined advantages of being thirst-quenching, .nv'goratmg and highly Nourishing, and nicest cocoa." eSpeciall-v because it is the Everybody should drink Cadbury's cocoa regularly at breakfast and lunch time, and particularly with the evening meal, because, owing to its mildly stimulative action, it is one of the few beverages that aid rather than retard the digestion of other foods. Cocoa is strongest when pure—Cadbury's is the strongest cocoa because it is the purest. It therefore makes most beverage of the best quality.